093_HR0559

                                     LRB093 14439 RAH 20131 r

 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS,  The  members   of   the   Illinois   House   of
 3    Representatives  were  saddened to learn of the death of John
 4    Donahue of Chicago; and

 5        WHEREAS, John Donahue  was  born  on  July  16,  1939  in
 6    Chicago  and  has  been a guiding force to mobilize people to
 7    push for change during more than 40 years'  work  in  Chicago
 8    and Central America; and

 9        WHEREAS,  John, known to his many friends as Juancho, was
10    the Chicago Coalition for  the  Homeless  executive  director
11    since  1990;  under  his leadership, the Coalition's work has
12    focused on finding ways  to  prevent  and  end  homelessness,
13    pushing  for  workable  solutions that create more affordable
14    housing and living wage jobs; and

15        WHEREAS, Juancho is one of the people profiled  in  Studs
16    Terkel's new oral history, "Hope Dies Last: Keeping the Faith
17    in  Troubled  Times"  (October  2003),  and  his  many honors
18    include the first Daniel Berrigan  Peace  Award  from  DePaul
19    University,  the  True  Patriot  of  the  Year award from The
20    Coalition for New Priorities, and a 2003 human  rights  award
21    from Casa Guatemala; and

22        WHEREAS,  Juancho worked three years in Panama as project
23    director for Agro Bia Mundi Yala  (1987-1990)  and  organized
24    indigenous  tribes  to protect their habitat and crops in the
25    Panamanian rainforest; and

26        WHEREAS, From 1982 to 1987, Juancho  was  a  founder  and
27    executive  director  of  Comite  Latino, organizing for jobs,
28    housing, and fair immigration  policies  among  families  and
29    religious   groups   in  Chicago's  Uptown  and  Rogers  Park
30    communities; he also served as a  division  director  at  The
31    Association  House  of  Chicago (1979-1982), where he oversaw
 
                            -2-      LRB093 14439 RAH 20131 r
 1    youth employment and employment training programs; and

 2        WHEREAS, Juancho, a former Catholic priest, was vicar  of
 3    the  Archdiocese  of Panama from 1971 to 1979; in those years
 4    he lived in  a  squatters'  community,  San  Miguelito,  near
 5    Panama  City; he organized and developed a national preschool
 6    project, a credit  union,  a  housing  project,  and  various
 7    cooperatives; and

 8        WHEREAS,  Juancho also worked as a priest, administrator,
 9    and teacher at Chicago's Visitation High School  (1965-1971);
10    he  holds  a  bachelor's  degree in philosophy and a master's
11    degree in divinity from St. Mary of the  Lake  University  in
12    Mundelein; and

13        WHEREAS,  His  passing  will be deeply felt by his family
14    and friends, especially his wife, Icela;  and  his  children,
15    Belen, Maricela, Lisa, Daniel, and Megan; therefore, be it

16        RESOLVED,   BY   THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE
17    NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS,  that
18    we  mourn  the death of John "Juancho" Donahue along with all
19    who knew and loved him, and extend our sincerest  condolences
20    to his family and friends; and be it further

21        RESOLVED,  That  a  suitable  copy  of this resolution be
22    presented to the family of John Donahue.